RESTFUL RETREAT

Always colourful, Jaipur had just the right mix of rest and recreation

  
    TRAVELLING by road from Agra to Jaipur, I soon realised why Rajasthan is the favourite of tourists, both domestic and international. As soon as we crossed the border, demarcated by pink sandstone columns on either side of the highway, the culture of this colourful state unfurled before our eyes.
    Pottery shops dotted the highway displaying their traditional wares, the most striking of them a pink sandstone trellis. These seemed to adorn every house! Further down, we realized that everyone, livestock included, were brightly clad.
    As we passed villages with women dressed in their traditional lehenga and choli, magentas, oranges, yellows and blues screamed at us from every direction! The menfolk stood out in their coloured turbans, and the camels — as ubiquitous as cows elsewhere in India — were dressed up too. Indeed as the smooth, uniform four-lane highway cut through the monochromatic environs, these bright colours were a sight for sore eyes!
    As we entered Jaipur I felt as I do each time I come to the Pink City: as if I am part of a procession headed towards a grand palace! Ornate windows or ‘jharokas’ and arched gateways welcome visitors to this city with a rich history. I could almost feel a thousand eyes looking down at me from the windows, happy at my arrival!
    Every major building looks like a palace, due to the stunning architecture. The Governor’s house, the Museum or the City Library, each has that distinct cupola and jharokas. The more modern part of town, on the main MI Road, has swank glass buildings and shop though; and traffic there is also as chaotic as any big city.
    We headed straight for the Trident as planned for our much awaited holiday and seventh marriage anniversary. The past two months had been a whirlwind of activity and we were looked forward to a weekend of relaxation and recuperation.
    As we entered, “poof” as if in a fairy tale, we were transported to a different world. Soothing incense wafted through the air as we checked in and we walked down green granite flooring past arched windows and doorways to our room. Nothing ostentatious, but very comfortable, it had an arched doorway with French windows leading out into a small balcony overlooking the garden.
    Then came the best part: a complimentary cake for our anniversary — a surprise gift from me to my husband — and a dozen red roses and chocolates for me and our son that he planned to surprise us with! A wonderful start to our holiday!
    The first day we just decided to soak in our surroundings. Due to the excellent location, we decided to take a leisurely stroll outside the hotel along the Mansagar Lake and enjoy the gentle evening breeze. The breathtaking view of Jal Mahal – all lit up in resplendent colours – provided a romantic touch to our walk despite the hordes of people, ice-cream trolleys and balloon sellers!
    On our return, we learnt that a puppet show was on at the pool side. Huge glass windows allow guests to enjoy the pool view from inside — escaping the heat. We, however, headed out to watch the show, as it would interest our five-year old. Two young men in typical Rajasthani folk dress did a great job, one playing the dholak and singing while the other handled the puppets.
    Also there was the omnipresent astrologer cum palmist, who looked more like a conman to me, charging an exorbitant Rs 500 for his services. Foreigners were clearly his preferred target! A few hand painted decorative pieces made of marble and paintings on paper and cloth were also on display.
    We had decided to eat at the hotel’s only restaurant – aptly named Jal Mahal. An a la carte menu had every kind of cuisine but we opted for the buffet. It was a royal one: two kinds of soup, a variety of salads and breads, Indian and Continental main dishes, and gulab jamuns and rasgullas along with soufflés and fruit strudels.
    Our son, of course, was interested in the Kids Club on the ground floor, a nice way for the hotel to take kids off the hands of their harried parents for a while. The ‘club’ is actually a play area cutely done up inside an air conditioned play tent. In it is everything that a kid could possibly want: a small splash pool, a slide and a see-saw, board games, toys, books, colouring tools and a playstation.
    A lady in-charge keeps an eye on all of them and calls up the parents when the child wants to return. My son made friends there and was quite happy playing with them. He did not have to get bored in the room – the big worry for all parents!
    Jaipur is the place to be for shopaholics and we were no exception. Just a stroll down the main Johari Bazaar was enough to inundate my senses with the sights and sounds of Rajasthani culture. In fact I found that shopping can be therapeutic! A good thing about the shopping arcades in Jaipur is that there is always a covered passageway to keep people away from the sun’s glare. A walk down this bazaar, bang opposite Hawa Mahal, proved to be a delightful experience. We saw everything from effervescent leheriya sarees to kundan and stone jewellery, bangles, block print kurtas and skirts, mirror-work attire, paintings and hundreds of knick knacks ranging from the traditional elephant and camel beaded lines to umbrellas.
    My mind hit “overload” and decision making was tough! After a lot of deliberation, and my husband’s advice and opinion, I walked away with goodies that included sarees, jootis and supari! And of course, Blue Pottery with its distinctive dark blue on white ceramic, handmade at Sanganer, not far from the city.
    We decided to try out all the eating places we possibly could too, courtesy The Lonely Planet guide. And we began at the famous LMB in Johari Bazaar. No trip to Jaipur is complete without tasting its lassi and chaat. It was great, as usual. Next, we went to the hugely popular and over-rated Nero’s on MI Road. The food was good but the service was terribly slow — just as our guide warned!
    We also tried two good non-vegetarian
places: Barbeque Nation on Tonk Road and Handi, a little ahead of Nero’s. Barbeque Nation turned out to be an “all you can eat” place for just Rs 400 per head, which included 5 types of veg and nonveg barbequed snacks followed by a dinner buffet. A grill was placed in front of us and the snacks loaded on skewers. We got three marinade sauces and a basting brush, and three dips. the portions were a bit too small and some were nothing to write about (note my lack of details!) but there was live music.
    Handi definitely had better food, including tandoori dishes, and the prices were reasonable. Although, the ambience was not great — the outside looks like a dhaba, but the food was worth the visit.
    In all, it turned out to be the perfect anniversary weekend getaway!